Enclosure structure and method of making the same



L- S. NEMLICH Dec. 19, 1967 ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 Original Filed Nov. 10, 1964 INVENTOR LEE 6? NEML/CH Y B f/m m ATTORNEY L. S. NEMLICH Dec. 19, 1967 ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Nov. 10. 1964 2 Sheets-Shae t 2 INVENTOR LEE 5. NEML/Cl-l BY 4%0/zfm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,358,632 ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Lee S. Nemlich, 50 Sunset Drive, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. 10520 Originai application Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 410,150. Di-

vided and this application Dec. 7, 1966, Bar. No. 619,088

4 Claims. (Cl. 113116) This application is a division of my application Ser. No. 410,150, filed Nov. 10, 1964, entitled, Enclosure- Structure.

This invention relates to an enclosure structure and to a method for making the same. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel method for making an enclosure structure, such as a drawer, tray or the like, which comprises side portions and a bottom portion, and to the resultant article.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to an article and method of making the same embodying a continuous perimeter member of extruded material, such as aluminum or the like and a decorative filler strip, such as wood, plastic, etc., the article being characterized by extremely decorative appearance and sturdy construction.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a decorative structure, such as a tray, drawer or the like, having mitred corner portions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel and simplified method for forming an article of the type described which will reduce to a minimum the number of finishing operations required and will further eliminate the necessity for providing bending dies, jigs and the like.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a perimeter strip for use in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a perimeter strip in an intermediate stage of construction;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a perimeter strip in a further advanced stage of construction;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a partially formed article in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of the finished article of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a magnified section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a section similar to FIGURE 6 showing a different embodiment of the novel perimeter member.

In accordance with the invention as shown in FIGURE 1, a perimeter member 10, preferably made of extruded metal such as aluminum, is provided in indeterminate lengths. The perimeter member 10 may comprise an inner vertical web 11 having upper and lower legs 12, 13, respectively, extending outwardly normal to the plane of the web 11. At the outer end of the upper leg 12 there is formed a downwardly directed flange member 14 which parallels the web 11, at least a lip portion 14a of the flange 14 extending downwardly below the leg 12 in parallel spaced relation to the outer face of the web 11.

At the upper end of the lower leg 13 there is similarly formed a lower flange portion paralleling the web 11, and having at least a lip portion 15a extending upwardly beyond the lower leg 13.

The outer surfaces of the flanges 14 and 15 are in coplanar alignment, the flange 15, at the lowermost end "ice thereof, including an intumed locking ledge 16. It is important to note that the innermost end 17 of the ledge 16 cannot extend inwardly beyond the plane of the inner face 11' of the web 11. The upper edge of the locking ledge 16 is preferably formed with an outwardly beveled portion 18, for purposes which will appear hereafter.

In FIGURE 5 there is disclosed an article comprising a tray, such as might be used for holding notepaper or the like. From the ensuing description it will be readily recognized that a substantially unlimited range of articles may be manufactured from the web and by the method hereinafter to be described, examples of articles advantageously employing the said method being drawers, ash trays, serving trays.

As a first step in the manufacturing of an article from the web, a decorative strip S, such as an extended length of wood, plastic or the like, is inserted longitudinally to lie within the outwardly opening channel 20 (see FIG- URE 1), defined by the outer wall of the web 11, the lower wall of the upper leg 12, the upper wall of the lower leg 13 and the inner walls of the lip members 1412 and 15a. The insertion of the decorative strip S into the channel 20 is preferably effected with the application of a considerable amount of pressure, it being readily understood that as the strip may be braced against buckling from its flat position during the inserting process, an extremely great endwise force may be applied without fracturing the strip.

The interfit between the strip and the channel 20 is such that the strip is tightly, frictionally supported within the said channel against longitudinal movement relative to the channel. If desired, to assure that the strip will not shift relative to the channel after it has been loaded therein, portions of the metal may be struck inwardly to depress the same into portions of the strip.

With the strip thus loaded non-shiftably within the channel, mitring joints may be formed simultaneously through the perimeter member and the strip insert, as will be appreciated from FIGURES 4 and 5. The production of the tray illustrated therein involves the formation of two right angle mitre joints 21 and 22.

In accordance with the method of the invention, the joints are formed by initially cutting a triangular slot through the perimeter member with the strip supported therein, the triangles, as best seen in FIGURE 3, having their apices 30 substantially coincident with the inner surface of the flanges 14, 15 and having their base portions 31 coincident with the web 11. In the illustrated embodiment, since a right angle mitre is desired, the angle defined between the equal sides 32, 33 of the slot defined by cutting away the isosceles triangle portion is equal to It will be readily recognized, however, that the desired angular relationship of the sides, after folding, will determine the angle which should be cut away, i.e. for a triangular end product, 60 for an hexagonal product, etc.

The cutting operation is optionally but preferably carried out through the use of a milling device which is guided transversely relative to the strip to form the slot, the configuration of the milling device of course being determinative of the configuration of the slot. The miller, in the formation of the slots, is adjusted heightwise so that the apex of the milling device lies substantially at the level of the outermost surface of the filler strip S. Alternatively, and in some instances preferably, the miller may be so adjusted as to prevent a penetration of the apex of the miller through the outer surface of the strip, there being then left a fine, thin layer of strip material to present an unbroken outer surface.

It will be readily recognized that the number of slots formed for the production of mitred joints will depend upon the desired ultimate configuration of the enclosure.

After formation of the mitre joints in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 3, the assembly is completed by the addition of a locking base or support 35. The locking support 35 may comprise Masonite, hard plastic, plywood composition or the like and should be rigid and, preferably, provide a high coeflicient of friction when engaged by the metallic member.

The assembly of the tray, FIGURE 5, is continued by driving one side marginal portion 36 of support 35 into the locking channel 19 defined by the upper surface of the locking ledge 16, the lower surface of the lower leg 13 and the inner surface of lower flange 15. It will be understood that the length of the side 36 corresponds exactly to the spacing of the apices 30, 30a of the slot portions previously described, the lateral ends of the side 36 being aligned with said apices.

Further, the dimensional relationship between the thickness of the base 35 and the locking channel 19 is such that a very tight frictional fit between these parts is effected, the bevel portion 18 on the locking ledge serving to facilitate the introduction of the support into the locking channel.

After the side 36 of base 35 is driven fully into the locking channel in the position previously indicated, the side arms of the perimeter strip which lie to either side of the apices 30, a, are bent at right angles to the portion of the perimeter strip engaging the base portion until the locking channels in said other portions similarly grip the sidemarginal edges of the base portion 35.

The bending operation aforesaidis greatly facilitated by the fact that the base portion inserted functions as a bending die precisely to orient and determine the angular relationship between the bent portions of the strip. Similarly, the entry of the side marginal edges of the base portion adjacent the corners into the locking channel of the portions being bent, at an early stage in the bending of said portions, acts to maintain the portion being bent in the same plane as the portion of the perimeter strip already engaged with the base.

Thus, it will be seen that during the bending operation, the base portion serves to assure the accurate formation of the corners so that the angle between the portions of the peripheral strip correspond exactly to the. angles defined by the marginal edges of the base portion. Similarly, the relationship between the base portion and the locking channel of the various side portions of the peripheral strip act to assure that a co-planar relationship is maintained between the corresponding portions of the strip as the same is being formed.

The foregoing functions of the support base eliminate the necessity of providing complex bending dies and jigs. Thus, a wide variety of sizes of articles may economically be manufactured, and the requirement of restricting manufacture to a few stock sizes is avoided.

Further, due to the tight frictional fit of the decorative strip S within channel 24) and the tight frictional fit between the side edges of the base in the locking channel 19, it is altogether feasible and, indeed, preferable, that no gluing, nailing or other fastening operations be employed to complete the assembly of the device.

Accordingly, a rigid structural unit, such as the illustrated tray, or such as a drawer, may be formed in accordance with the method of my invention, without the use of intermediate fastening steps, such as gluing, nailing or the like.

I have further discovered that by carefully performing the milling operation, and by reason of the frictional retention of the decorative strip within channel 20, and by reason of the simultaneous formation of the mitre cut in the strip and perimeter member, a minimum of finishing of the exposed portion or corner of the mitre formed is required. For example, I have found that if the strip S is comprised of a sanded hard wood, such as walnut, rosewood, teak or the like, the mitred corner formed by milling and bending in the manner aforesaid is completely finished and no sanding, filling or other preparation of such corner is required.

It will be readily recognized that in the use of the novel method of the invention, a decorative enclosure of high quality and great durability may be prepared with a minimum of manufacturing efforts.

If desired, as shown in FIGURE 5, an upper decorative strip 40 may be disposed transversely across the top of the upper surfaces 12a, to form a ceiling at the upper end of the enclosure.

In FIGURE 7 I have disclosed a perimeter member similar to the perimeter of the embodiment shown in FIGURES l to 6, the embodiment of FIGURE 7 differing only in the provision of an upper locking channel 19 in addition to the lower locking channel 19. It will be recognized that in the embodiment of FIGURE 7, there may be formed a structure which incorporates a pair of support members, each clinched within one of the side locking channels.

If desired, and particularly where hard usage of the structure will be encountered, such as in the formation of a drawer, spaced punches may be formed against the locking flange 16, simultaneously depressing portions of the support base and driving portions of the ledge intosaid depressions. However, in most instances no ancillary securing will be found necessary.

From the foregoing it will be evident that in the formation of a drawer having four sides, the terminal ends of the perimeter member with the strip charged therein will each be mitred at 45 and three additional triangular slots will be formed transversely of the filled perimeter member in advance of effecting the bending steps.

The surrounding upper and lower flanges 14, 15 which remain unaffected by the mitring strip, provide a smooth and unbroken appearance, greatly enhancing the strength and attractiveness of the finished article.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of forming an enclosure from an integral metallic perimeter member including a planar inner vertical web portion, upper and lower leg portions extending outwardly from an aligned normal to said web portion, a downwardly directed upper flange member depending from the outer extremity of said upper leg portion, an. upwardly directed flange member at the outer extremity of said lower leg portion, said upper and lower members having their inner and outer surfaces in coplanar alignment, the inner surfaces of said flange members and leg portionsand the outer surface of said web defining an outwardly facing channel, a lock ledge extending inwardly from the inner surface of said lower flange member in proximate spaced relation to and in parallelism with said lower leg, the inner end of said lock ledge not extending beyond a plane forming a downward continuation of the inner surface of said web portion, the upper and lower surfaces of said ledge and lower leg portion, respectively, and the inner surface of said lower flange defining an inwardly directed lock channel, comprising inserting a rigid, decorative strip into tight frictional engagement within said outwardly facin g channel, cutting away portions of said perimeter member and strip while the strip is seated in said outer channel to define a plurality of transversely extending slots of triangular cross section, the apices of said slots being substantially coincident with the inner edges of said upper and lower flanges, and the bases of said slots being parallel with said flanges, bending said strip inwardly along bending lines defined by said apices until the opposed walls 2. The method of forming an enclosure from an integral metallic perimeter member including a planar inner vertical web portion, upper and lower leg portions extending outwardly from and aligned normal to said web portion, a downwardly directed upper flange member depending from the outer extremity of said upper leg portion, an upwardly directed flange member at the outer extremity of said lower leg portion, said upper and lower members having their inner and outer surfaces in coplanar alignment, the inner surfaces of said flange members and leg portions and the outer surface of said web defining an outwardly facing channel, a lock ledge extending inwardly from the inner surface of said lower flange member in proximate spaced relation to and in parallelism with said lower leg, the inner end of said lock ledge not extending beyond a plane forming a downward continuation of the inner surface of said web portion, the upper and lower surfaces of said ledge and lower leg portion, respectively, and the inner surface of said lower flange defining an inwardly directed lock channel, comprising inserting a rigid, decorative strip into tight frictional engagement within said outwardly facing channel, cutting away portions of said perimeter member and strip while the strip is seated in said outer channel to define a plurality of transversely extending slots of triangular cross section, the apices of said slots being substantially coincident with the inner edges of said upper and lower flanges, and the bases of said slots being parallel with said flanges, providing a base portion having side portions of a length which corresponds with the spacing of adjacent apices, forcing a side portion of said base portion into tight frictional engagement within said locking channel, with a corner of said base portion coinciding with an apex, and thereafter progressively bending portions of said perimeter member inwardly, using said base portion as a bending die until the base portion enters the locking channel portions of said perimeter member.

3. The method of forming a decorative mitre joint from an integral metallic perimeter member having a vertical web, upper and lower legs extending outwardly from said web and an outer vertical flange portion extending from at least one said leg, said legs and Web defining an outwardly open channel portion, with said flange overlying a portion of said channel, comprising the steps of endwisely inserting a decorative strip into tight frictional engagement with said channel, thereafter cutting away said perimeter member and strip simultaneously transversely to the length of said perimeter member to form a transversely extending slot, the cross section of which is of the form of an isosceles triangle, the apex of said triangle coinciding with the inner edge of said flange and the base of said triangle being parallel with the plane of said flange, and thereafter bending said perimeter member inwardly along a bending axis which coincides with said transverse apex to bring the side walls of said strip and perimeter member adjacent said apex into abutting relation.

4. The method of forming a corner structure of an enclosure from an integral metallic perimeter member having a vertical web, upper and lower legs extending outwardly from said web and an outer vertical flange portion extending from at least one said leg, said legs and web defining an outwardly open channel portion with said flange portion overlying a portion of said channel, said perimeter member including portions defining an inwardly directed locking channel, comprising the steps of lengt'hwisely inserting a decorative strip into said open channel in tight frictional engagement therewith, thereafter cutting away said strip and inner portions of said perimeter member simultaneously in a direction transverse to the length of said perimeter member to form a slot, the cross section of which is of the form of an isosceles triangle, the apex of said triangle coinciding with the inner edge of said flange and the base of said triangle being parallel with said flange, thereafter inserting into the locking flange to one side of said apex, a rigid support member having a corner portion of an angle corresponding to the angle defined between the equal legs of said triangle, the apex of said corner being coincident with the apex of said triangle, and thereafter bending the side of said perimeter member adjacent the side engaged with said support member inwardly about a bending axis coincident with said apex, using said support member as a bending die, until the locking channel of the bending portion of said perimeter member embraces the side of said support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,079,507 11/1913 McClerman 1l3116 1,853,840 4/1932 Bailey 1l3--116 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREEE, Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING AN ENCLOSURE FROM AN INTEGRAL METALLIC PERIMETER MEMBER INCLUDING A PLANAR INNER VERTICAL WEB PORTION, UPPER AND LOWER LEG PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM AN ALIGNED NORMAL TO SAID WEB PORTION, A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED UPPER FLANGE MEMBER DEPENDING FROM THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF SAID UPPER LEG PORTION, AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE MEMBER AT THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF SAID LOWER LEG PORTION, SAID UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS HAVING THEIR INNER AND OUTER SURFACES IN COPLANAR ALIGNMENT, THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID FLANGE MEMBERS AND LEG PORTIONS AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID WEB DEFINING AN OUTWARDLY FACING CHANNEL, A LOCK LEDGE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID LOWER FLANGE MEMBER IN PROXIMATE SPACED RELATION TO AND IN PARALLELISM WITH SAID LOWER LEG, THE INNER END OF SAID LOCK LEDGE NOT EXTENDING BEYOND A PLANE FORMING A DOWNWARD CONTINUATION OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID WEB PORTION, THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF SAID LEDGE AND LOWER LEG PORTION, RESPECTIVELY, AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID LOWER FLANGE DEFINING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED LOCK CHANNEL, COMPRISING INSERTING A RIGID, DECORATIVE STRIP INTO TIGHT FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITHIN SAID OUTWARDLY FACING CHANNEL, CUTTING AWAY PORTIONS OF SAID PERIMETER MEMBER AND STRIP WHILE THE STRIP IS SEATED IN SAID OUTER CHANNEL TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SLOTS OF TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION, THE APICES OF SAID SLOTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDENT WITH THE INNER EDGES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER FLANGES, AND THE BASES OF SAID SLOTS BEING PARALLEL WITH SAID FLANGES, BEINDING SAID STRIP INWARDLY ALONG BENDING LINES DEFINED BY SAID APICES UNTIL THE OPPOSED WALLS OF SAID SLOTS ARE BROUGHT INTO ABUTTING RELATION, AND INSERTING A RIGID BASE MEMBER INTO SAID LOCKING CHANNEL, WITH UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID BASE ADJACENT THE SIDE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF TIGHTLY FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF SAID LOCKING CHANNEL. 